Secrets and Dreams
by Selene Moonstar
Summary: Tigress had made a promise to Po to look after Mr. Ping during a painfully long mission. Even with Viper's help and Mr. Ping's normally energetic attitude, this does not change the secret feelings and dreams within the unsure heart of the Kung Fu Master Tigress. Inspired by an idea from EnvytheSkunk. A POXTIGRESS ONE-SHOT, RATED T FOR MENTIONED BODILY INJURY! YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!


It's not like she had not walked these streets before.

Then again, it's not like she had not been on a mission like this before.

When she was just a little girl, she had experienced similar situations before, so that was no surprise to her. Many missions she had been on before involved some form of abnormal factor: the abnormal factor about this one just so happened to be the fact that she couldn't go.

She wasn't alone: Viper had to stay home as well. In fact, both women were at their homeland waiting for their male comrades to return safely for the same reason: they were both women.

In the Valley of Peace, there wasn't such a high discrimination about gender, and that was primarily because of Viper and Tigress being each a member of the Furious Five, but that did not change the ideals of many villages and smaller governments that lived around them. On this particular mission, they had to stay home because of that discrimination, and they would have been worried about the maturity of the boys if Shifu had not accompanied them on the same trip.

It's not that they were stupid, but sometimes there were certain things that got to their heads that could manifest immaturity. Po was popular for occasionally having this happen to him, or maybe from the idea that he was secretly being a smart-ass.

Then again, it was typical of Po to be an occasional smart-ass here and there, but Tigress had plenty of practice with Mantis, and Viper usually scowled him, so it didn't bother her much.

As she was walking down the familiar path, her problem concerning Po was not so much his attitude, but his lack of presence. Whether anyone noticed it or not, and more than she would care to admit, she actually missed him. The only one who seemed to give any legit proof that she at least noticed this was Viper, but she figured it might have been what Viper called "girl's instinct".

Viper also understood Tigress when it came to the idea of feelings, and it comforted Tigress that in case she needed to talk to someone who would at least have some understanding of what she was going through, it would be her. She couldn't talk anyone else because they would either view her as a Kung Fu Master or because they were men: there was harsh reality in life, and that was there were just some things that it took men longer to understand. Only a legit few strayed outside of that stereotypical box, and Tigress began to wonder if Po was one of those legit few.

He had strayed outside of the box many times. The same panda that originally was viewed as unworthy of the title was the same panda that proved them wrong to the degree it was breathtaking. A long time ago, Tigress wouldn't have given him a second thought to telling him he was the least of them to deserve the title of Dragon Warrior.

However, that was a long time ago, and she sincerely doubted that she has seen everything about Po that would impress her.

She chuckled to herself at the irony of it all: she was here on the account of a promise that she made to Po because she couldn't go on this mission. If there was anyone who was worried about anything right now, it was Po.

Before he had to take the sudden mission, he was spending time with his adopted father, Mr. Ping, whom was beginning to show his advancement in years. During the last month, he was beginning to grow into the peaceful old age that he really was. True, he still carried the energy of a child, but the reality of things only made Po worry even more for him.

As they were departing, Po was deeply protesting against the idea of going. Yes, he was the Dragon Warrior, and it was important to go on this mission, but ever since the holidays a long time ago, he made it clear that he was (and still is) a son above everything else. Shifu tried to sympathize, but it was clear that if Mr. Ping was not looked after, Po wasn't going to budge, and Tigress remembered pretty well that trying to move Po without some hard stance against him was not going to end well.  
>Sometimes, soft hearts came with hard heads, and Tigress was not an exception to this rule.<p>

She remembered pretty well the faces her friends and her master gave her when she volunteered to stay and watch over him. If she didn't explain herself, perhaps they would have assumed that there was a different soul in her body. Then again, thinking logically about it, why wouldn't it be right for her to look after him? She and Viper wouldn't be allowed to go because of the other valley's discrimination against women on government grounds, so in order to do the best she could on the mission indirectly, it would be sensible to stay here and watch over Mr. Ping.

That was a month ago, and they still had not returned home yet.

The warmth from the sun was comforting, but it only helped so much as she passed by the villagers. Occasionally, she bowed to the few that greeted her. It was understood by Tigress that they weren't trying to be rude: they just had a purpose to be here just like she did.

It was almost like the same exact motive into why Po had to go. She even remembered the look he gave to her as a sign of appreciation before he left.

She wasn't sure if it was obvious to anyone else, and she knew that it was obvious to her as she turned the corner that to the welcoming gate of Mr. Ping's Noodle Shop.

Tigress missed everyone, but she oddly missed Po the most.

As to be expected, there was business within the restaurant, but it seemed to have been on the closing hours. Tigress recalled how she would visit him early in the morning, but after talking with Mr. Ping, it was agreed upon that she would visit him on the account of her promise during the evening, but was more than welcome to come any other time of the day, and Tigress did visit him earlier today: with Viper during lunch.

During the beginning of the month, Tigress didn't understand why Po's worry for his father was beyond the usual. She tried to talk to him about it, but time was not convenient. Now that she had been visiting him out of hidden concern and her word, she understood why Po had been so nervous lately and acted the way he did when he had to go away.

It was more than just the beginning hints of age for Mr. Ping: it was the fact that he had been injured before Po's departure. Because of his broken wing sometime back, Tigress was not the only one that was visiting him outside of the accustom intention for food, being the fact that he was a cook. She was also not the only one that was keeping Po up to date with letters that were not her own. Yes, she did write to Po personally, as she was with everyone else, but she also had to write for Mr. Ping because it was his right wing that was broken: the same wing that he used to write.

Mr. Ping's right wing was also the same wing he did most of his impressive cooking moves with. It wasn't that his left wing was useless: he just had a harder time cooking at his usual demanding rate without the cooperation of both wings working together. Because of the duties of the palace falling naturally on Tigress, she could not be in the kitchen as often as Viper was to help Mr. Ping as he recovered.

It was this same friend that she watched with Mr. Ping in his kitchen making the final demands of the day.

Perhaps she was standing there too long, but that didn't matter: Viper was the first to notice her at the door and gave her a beaming smile, and Tigress returned the gesture of smiling in a gentler manner.

"Hey, Tigress!" Viper exclaimed, "Come on in! We have plenty of seats and plenty of food!"

Like many of the customers, Tigress was careful coming in, making sure she didn't bump into anyone, or trip over children that were less than half her size. Upon looking around, she caught the sight of the occasional sign around the store that obviously marked of Po in a glamorized format, but she didn't want to ruin the festive atmosphere with her thoughts of how much she wanted him home. She even took note of the "Dragon Warrior Mop", the one that Po used when he used to work at his dad's shop, but she still couldn't shake off the opinion of just how silly it was to glamorize such a thing.

As she made her way close to the ordering counter, Tigress gave herself a moment and look around at the people that were in. There was a familiar group of all pig friends that were playing their weekly game while sharing a plate of bean buns together all the way in a corner below one of the signs. In the other corner, there was a group of ducks doing what looked like simple socializing. However, in the distant third corner from where Tigress was, there was a couple of a male pig and a female goose holding hands and looking at one another, the only thing between them being a simple candle burning inside a bamboo holder.

Tigress watched them silently, puzzled about many things. She remembered how she used to wonder about what it might feel like to be in love. Because of how her life was flowing through the stream of time and given the current circumstances, she wasn't sure if she was going to find love anytime soon. Tigress wasn't complaining: she had just grown into the reality of things, and life would continue, whether she liked it or not.

"Aren't they adorable?" Viper said in a much lower voice as she slithered over to Tigress, "That couple has been here almost all day."

"Really?"

"Really! Mr. Ping said that they are a recent couple, but it's so romantic how he's willing to pay for everything."

"Oh… well, in speaking of Mr. Ping, how is he?"

"He's getting his energy back, that's for sure. His wing recovered recently, but he's moving around as if it had never broken."

"Is he at least trying to take it easy?"

"That's what the doctor and I keep telling him, but it's obvious where Po gets his occasional stubbornness from."

"Occasionally."

Slightly shaking her head, Tigress smiled a little at the young couple before making her way past that same couple into the entrance of the back: the same place where the art of cooking was taking place, and the energetic Mr. Ping chopping away almost as if nothing ever happened.

However, Tigress remembered a talk she did have with Po before she discovered that Mr. Ping had broken his wing: sometimes (but not always) too much energy was an indication that something was wrong. If there was something wrong, that it was painfully obvious what it was: the natural feeling of a father missing his son.

She wanted to sympathize with him, but the relationship that she shared with Po was not the same as the relationship between Po and Mr. Ping. Mr. Ping was Po's father, and she was Po's friend. She wouldn't dare say best friend without the confirmation from the panda himself.

"Ah! Tigress! Welcome, welcome!"

"Good evening, Mr. Ping. Would you like any help?"

"Actually, yes. I would very much like your help with the tables. Some tables are empty with empty plates. Would you please collect them, please?"

"Of course."

Thus, Tigress and Viper accompanied Mr. Ping and helped him in his shop during the remainder of the evening. Tigress saw for herself the giggling of groups and the sparks of socializing leave not the people, but the shop in peace, indirectly letting it know that it did its job to contribute to the happiness of the day as it settled beyond the horizon.

If Mr. Ping did not smile, perhaps she would have been more worried about him.

"Ah, today was a good day!" Mr. Ping beamed, "Please, stay and have dinner."

"Oh, I would love to," Viper said, "But you already gave me dinner, remember?"

"Oh, yes, of course," Mr. Ping said, slightly embarrassed as he scratched the back of his feathery head, "Then, how about you Tigress? Have you had anything to eat?"

"No, I have not," Tigress replied, "But you don't need to-"

"Oh, I may not _need_ to," Mr. Ping stressed, "But I _insist_ that you stay and eat here again. I know you had lunch here, but it is so good to see Po's friends here when my beloved son is gone, and don't worry about paying for anything: today was a good day, so it's on the house."

Tigress glanced over at her slithering friend, whom gave her partly expected, casual nod with a smile. While to Tigress, this was almost the same as imposing on someone; she also knew that this made Mr. Ping very happy, and she had made it customary in her heart to put other people's happiness before her own discomforts. Under such circumstances, Tigress accepted the second invitation to a meal within a single day.

As the darkness began to overtake the land in a likeable peace, Mr. Ping was just finishing up the chores of the restaurant for the day, the finale of those shores being the sweeping away of all the dirt accumulated on the floor out the back door. Beforehand, Tigress had been served a meal that was too large for her: seven bean buns and two large bowls of the Secret Ingredient Soup. From the look of the meal, Tigress was given the impression that Mr. Ping would join her later to eat after the sweeping was completed.

For now, Tigress was content to simply eat the noodles while warm and listening to the occasional humming that came from the old goose.

Now that she thought about it, her ears perked up even more at the sound of his humming, realizing something that was normally not important, but her previous thoughts of Po made it important: he was humming something that she was certain that she had heard Po hum about before. If her assumption was correct, then it was likely that Po learned that same song (or humming tune) from this same goose. Tigress only recognized it immediately only because Po would hum the same tune from time to time during long trips mostly because of missions.

With as many times as she heard it in the past, and while it was comforting in a way, she knew that if she wanted to, she could likely go along with him in the middle of the song because she knew it so well. Maybe she would have been motivated to sing along, but hiding her emotions was her virtuoso, occasionally regretting that profession because of the idea of comfort that could come from it.

In a way, she sort of envied Mr. Ping, wondering how he was capable of expressing his feelings without shame. Then again, they came from two different walks of life, so of course things would come easier to him in relation to her. Then again, it's not like her walk of life was imperfect: it wasn't like Mr. Ping knew about Kung Fu on the level that she knew, but it wasn't as if he couldn't learn. If there was another thing that Po seemed to have learned well from him, it was certainly the idea about the idea of keeping at the fight even if it looks as if you might loose.

Perhaps there is a good reason why heroes came from the most unlikely of places: they were least expected to follow tradition, and there have been only a few occasions where tradition ever truly solved anything.

Tigress allowed her thoughts to fill her mind as she ate, but then began to bring them down to death when Mr. Ping came to the table, a happy grin on his face as he sat down across from Tigress, the bowl that he had made for him still steaming with heat, being the only proof Tigress would ever need to tell her that Mr. Ping knew how to sweep rather fast.

His casual method of eating, however, was the exact opposite, and it was understood that eating slow was healthy: it prevented the hiccups, and later problems in the future.

If there was another thing that Tigress had a hard time doing, it was starting casual talk. Yes, she was capable of talking to people she knew that would understand, such as the other Furious Five and Po, but mostly it was either about training or something rather lively, such as a festival that came into town, or the aftermath of a mission that occasionally lead to a feast.

It was only normal for Mr. Ping to begin the conversation.

"So, Master Tigress," he said, "How is everything at the Jade Palace? I understand that Master Shifu himself went on the mission."

"Everything is fine, thank you for your concern," Tigress said, "Your son went on the mission too along with the other Furious Five. If things go accordingly, they should be home soon, so there isn't anything to worry about."

Mr. Ping glanced up at her as her head turned back to the bowl she was almost done with, wondering if the genuine tone in her voice was just her natural concern turning into something he hadn't noticed before or if he was just imagining things. Then again, if Tigress _was_ beginning to miss Po on an excessive level, what was so abnormal about that? Were they not friends? Of course they were friends!

"Yes, my son has been gone for a while," Mr. Ping said, "But you know my son: after Tai Lung and Lord Shen, I believe that he will come back."

Now it was obvious to Tigress: he really did miss his son, but with how he was carrying himself, it was almost as if he was trying to not break down. Mr. Ping seemed to have caught himself in his slightly saddened state, and lightly sniffled at the thought, but his smile was only believable if you were looking for the idea that he was trying to be happy.

Tigress couldn't tell him, but he wasn't alone.

"Oh…I'm sorry," Mr. Ping replied, "But sometimes, these missions come at a very strange time. Like the one right now: just before Po had to leave and right around the time I broke my wing, he was about to test something completely new with noodles! It wasn't even soup, but it was noodles!"

"What was he trying to make?"

Mr. Ping looked at her, and sympathy was obvious in her eyes, but if talking about food made him happy during the absence of his son, then why not? After all, even in what was deemed normal conditions, talking about food was a form of therapy for Mr. Ping. The only thing better than talking about family or food was being with friends and making food.

Mr. Ping knew that all Tigress wanted to do was help, and he also knew that if he stayed like this, it was not only going to be of no help to him, but his lack of happiness right now was surely something that his son didn't want.

For his son, and the natural amount of selfishness, Mr. Ping was going to consider his own happiness for a while.

"It was a rather strange recipe," Mr. Ping explained before taking another helping from his own bowl, "Can you believe he wanted to make noodles just so he could dry them out again?"

"Dry noodles?" Tigress asked.

"Yes! I have a feeling that I know what he wants to do, but I had a bad experience with dry noodles, and it didn't go well. Maybe when Po gets home, I can tell him that perhaps he should try moist noodles: not for soup, but just try enough for this 'noodle salad' that he wishes to try."

"Noodle salad?"

"It's a rather unusual dish because it has no broth, but that's why I think it will sell so well. I do have customers from time to time that do not care too much for broth the way I do, so not only will this save on food material, but also it will be something the family can enjoy!

Oh! If it works, maybe I can make a noodle salad version of the Secret Ingredient Soup! I can call it… "Secret Ingredient Salad""

Tigress couldn't help herself but at least giggle from the idea. It was typical, but Tigress also knew for herself how good the soup tasted. She wasn't even sure if there was a secret ingredient, but if Po or someone else close to him made it, perhaps that was the only secret about it. No need for analytical work: just enjoy the soup because the family made it.

As Tigress finished her own bowl, Mr. Ping watched her on a slightly more intent level. For the years he actually got to know Tigress, there was a soft heart behind all of (what people called) "iron fur". Now that he thought about it, Tigress wasn't "hardcore" as everyone gave the impression that she was. It took him an awful long time to get properly acquainted with Tigress, but it was well worth the ride. Ever since the holiday that Po rejected tradition for family time, Mr. Ping had learned bits and pieces of her, and it was obvious even now that Tigress was a very close friend of Po.

While it wasn't as obvious, Mr. Ping had a few desires of his own: the secret wish that Po would have grandchildren before he passed on.

"Being his father, I have many memories of him," Mr. Ping sighed, "At least when Po is all grown up and have children of his own, I can tell them all about the noodle salad if it becomes a great success. But you know how Po is: he is successful in many strange ways."

"Maybe so," Tigress said, "But that doesn't change the fact that the Dragon Warrior is what we needed for the Valley of Peace."

"Oh, come now, Tigress," Mr. Ping said as he went to collect the pot of tea, "My son is your friend, no? I do not mind if you call him Po. After all, you and Po have grown very close ever since the battle with Lord Shen."

"I… suppose so…"

"I _know_ so, Tigress. Do you remember the festival a few years ago? That was the first time I've ever seen Po dance with such energy! True, it was just Kung Fu moves, from what my son told me, but how both of you dance so well together!"

"I used to enjoy folk dancing when I was cub."

"Ah, but you and I have come so far with Po, and it seemed to have started when Po decided to come home for the holidays instead of going to the feast with the Masters. I'm glad that they weren't offended."

"Actually, some of the Masters were happy about the change of pace: being with the people you protect reminds you just how important your job is."

"Do you remember the first dance you had with Po?"

Mr. Ping's beak was full of a beaming smile when he saw Tigress look away, very confident that if it weren't for the fur, she would be blushing.

"Yes, I believe I do. Sadly, I can't seem to recall which festival it was."

"Oh, I don't mean to spill the noodles in a rude way, but Po was so happy when he came home that festival night. He told me how you were hesitant to dance, but made it the evening of his life! Could you imagine all the questions the customers asked Po when he came in the next day? Ah, and such timing too! He wouldn't stop thinking about it for weeks! He couldn't stop _talking_ about it for weeks!"

"I… made it the evening of his life? Those are rather strong words, aren't they?"

"Yes, but it was just as befitting for the situation! It reminds me of the time that we went to go see fireworks for the first time! Well… without the crying, of course. Poor Po was just a cub, but he grew immediately fond of fireworks."

"Master Shifu occasionally showed us to fireworks, but I never saw my first until my teen years."

"Oh my! Learning Kung Fu must have taken much of your time."

"Most of my childhood, actually."

"Don't worry, Tigress, you don't have to go into detail. Talking about childhoods is a double-edged sword."

She wasn't sure if she wanted to tell Mr. Ping that Kung Fu is most of the childhood that she could remember. Other than her occasional rebellious moments, there wasn't much to say about her. Truth me told, she found her childhood to be rather bland.

"Po has been a wonderful son in my life," Mr. Ping, "Before I found Po, I wasn't even sure if I wanted to have children. I was considering the matter, and I was even confused, but I guess the universe decided to answer for me. You know that you love someone when you miss him. It doesn't even have to be that long: just being away hurts, like not having noodles for noodle soup."

Tigress watched him with partial awe, but held her amazement inside.

"Actually, if you think about it," Mr. Ping said as he stirred his soup with his spoon, "Everyone is like noodle soup. We are all born with the basic ingredients, but the best have the strangest recipe, but no one will know it's the best unless it is shared. So is a warm heart."

What he said rang true, and the smile that formed on Tigress' face only showed that she believed every word, but the part that she wondered about was the idea if there was a warm heart behind her hardcore exterior. She believed that she had one, but if Po had not come into her life the way that he did, maybe she wouldn't have given the idea a warm heart a second chance.

The panda that fell at her feet also fell somewhere else after the years they had known one another, and it was the same reason why she missed him. She wasn't sure how, or to what degree, but it was inevitable now that she loved him.

"Do you have any good memories of my son? I had assumed that you have some because you are a good friend of his."

If Mr. Ping also meant thinking about any memory of Po on an optimistic level, then yes, she did have good memories of him. If there was one thing that anyone (especially her) could learn from Po, it was trying to look at things while not being blinded by the darkness.

When Po came into her life, she didn't want him in her life. Now that he was here, she was afraid of letting him go. Now that he was gone, the only thing that fought back the idea that he may never come back was the strong, stubborn belief that he will.

When Po crashed in front of her…  
>All the mean words she said…<br>That one moment in time, when they looked into each other's eyes…  
>When he alone defeated Lord Shen…<br>When she hugged him…  
>When he hugged her…<br>If living all of that all over again would mean Po's safety, then she knew that she would. They didn't have so much of a good beginning, but where they are now: she wouldn't give it up without giving up herself first.

What was there for her to say about her memories with Po?

"I have many good memories of him," was all that she could say.

It wasn't too much on words… but maybe… maybe it wasn't enough words. For Tigress, she wasn't sure if this as so, but for Mr. Ping, it was obvious now because it wasn't a lot of words.

"Tigress, can you promise not to tell anyone?"

"Not tell anyone what, Mr. Ping?"

"I'm about to tell you something very important, but you need to promise me that you will not tell _anyone_ what I am about to tell you."

"You have my word, Mr. Ping."

"Good! It is something I normally would tell family, but I believe that I can trust you with a family secret."

"Is this about Po?"

"Oh, no, of course not, but he does know this: the secret ingredient to my Secret Ingredient Soup."

"That _is_ a family secret… I know that you believe I can keep a secret, but why me?"

"Let's just say that I think of you as family. Now, the secret ingredient."

The bean bun that was in her paw was still warm as she grabbed it, being gentle as she could to hide her sudden anxious feeling about being told something that normally a family member would. Exactly why Mr. Ping thought of her as family, she wasn't sure. She was honored, but she wasn't sure what she had done to be given the honor to begin with.

She wasn't alone on excitement: it was obvious in his eyes that what he was going to tell her was not leaving her alone on the edge of her seat.

"The secret ingredient…  
>The secret ingredient is… nothing!"<p>

As the atmosphere began to relax, Tigress looked down at the bean bun that was still warm in her hand. Mr. Ping watched her thoughtful look, rather proud to be able to tell a Kung Fu Master he considered family a secret that was normally only passed from family to family of the same line.

What she said surprised Mr. Ping a little.

"So… Po was right…"

"Po? He told you the secret ingredient?"

"He was helping me one day," Tigress said with a slight embarrassment in her voice, "I gave him my word I wouldn't say anything."

"And you _didn't_ say anything," Mr. Ping said, "You only implied that, but I suppose it's the same thing. Strange, it's not like Po to tell someone outside the family the secret ingredient unless they were like family… but I suppose to get back at him, I can tell you something else."

"Something else, Mr. Ping?"

"Yes, yes: Po knows how important this secret is to me, and I figured this out about him a long time ago. If he tells you something as important as a family secret, perhaps it means that you are just as important to him as that secret, and likely even more."

The way her face dropped in surprise as a confirmation for Mr. Ping that Tigress, without a doubt, was surprised.

"For as long as I can remember, I know Po has had his crushes in the past. Sometimes, he would make a move on the girl and get rejected, or silently wait to be noticed. Now and days, I believe he has grown into the latter and occasionally makes a move, but I respect him for how he carries his love life.

If the girl doesn't love him back, he's so calm and collected, but I believe he let's his feelings come and go, and I'm not sure if that is healthy for him. He tells me from time to time when he thinks he is in love, but lately he mostly keeps to himself. Between you and me, if he falls for a woman that notices this, and loves him back, I think that just might be the woman he is meant to be with, because when you know Po at least as long as you have, then you just know."

"What about me?"

Suddenly perking up, Mr. Ping looked over at the door to his shop when the moon was full and the lanterns still burned, giving more than enough light to tell them without words that there was a large, fluffy panda smiling and waiting at the door. He lifted his traveling hat, but that wasn't needed: Mr. Ping could have recognized his son a mile away and would have ran to him the way that he was doing right now. Flapping wings and everything: he would have done just this to hug his son once more around the belly.

"Whoa, dad!" Po exclaimed, "I'm glad to see you back on your feet! Is your wing okay?"

"My wing is more than okay, now that you're back home, son!" Mr. Ping said, "Oh! It's so good to have you back!"

Tigress watched from a distance of the moment between a father and his son, smiling a little as she finished the bean bun that was in her paw. One thing that rang true was the simple fact that she was happy for them, but she was also happy to see Po back home in one piece, partly ignoring the sounds and shadows of the other Furious Five likely making their way back to the Jade Palace.

She counted on Viper to tell Master Shifu that she was having a late dinner on the account of Mr. Ping's generosity for looking after him. Tigress even hoped that Mr. Shifu would be in a good mood, and forgive her absence over food.

Still, there was only one thing that would hurt as bad as Shifu's disapproval, but she couldn't allow herself to get envious just because of the present situation. Tigress was happy for Mr. Ping to be allowed to hug his son once again, so it was for those that she cared about was the motivation behind squishing down the feelings of envy.

Maybe there will come another time when she will have it in her to hug Po like she had done in the prison, or maybe when she would have the strength when her listen to her heart when it was lead to do so.

For now, it was best to keep a distance.

Tigress closed her eyes for a minute, giving self-permission a moment to smile, but as she opened them again, what happened next almost made her question reality.

"Tigress!"

Po was hugging her.

The warmth was very much real, and the last time the hug was this firm was the time of Lord Shen's defeat. Believing that her secret wish was heard, she thanked all that was holy that her wish was listened to, hugging back in response.

"I'm glad to see you, Po."

"I'm glad to see you too, Tigress," Po replied as he gently pulled away, his jade eyes partly lit because of the lanterns and moonlight as he looked at her, "Thanks for watching over my dad. It looks like his wing is better while I was gone."

"Yes…" Tigress said with a tone that was partly spaced out, but Po didn't notice.

"No, really, I mean it," Po said, "I want to thank you for looking after my dad. If you have any idea on how I can thank you, just let me know, okay?"

Tigress could only nod in her slightly dumbfounded state, with Po giving her one last, reassuring smile before meeting his dad behind the counter that likely lead to the homing sector that she was likely not allowed to enter.

As she walked towards the door, she began to wonder if what had just crossed her mind was real or just her imagination. Just a few minutes ago, Mr. Ping mentioned how the one meant for him would just know. Was "just knowing" very much real, or just a coincidence on the years that she and Po had known each other? She was fond of Po, that much was true, but the idea of a significant other died in her heart when she was a teenager.

Well, at least Tigress _thought_ that the idea of a significant other died when she was a teenager.

If her assumptions were true, then someone was bringing it back, whether if the panda knew he was doing it to her or not. Even if he didn't know the emotions that were going on inside of her, it was strange to think about them any more than friends. They had been friends for so long that Tigress never really thought about it, but she had plenty of time to think about it as she made her way up the Thousand Steps, leaving Mr. Ping and Po to catch up on things.

"So, Po," Mr. Ping said, "How was the trip?"

"Really weird," Po answered, "But that's like most trips."

"I'm just glad that you're home safe and sound, son," Mr. Ping said with delight, offering the bowl of remaining bean buns to his panda son, "Oh, and just between you and me, I think that friend of yours is a _keeper_!"

"Keeper?"

"Yes! A keeper! She has _much_ potential!"

"Potential? Potential for what? Dad? Dad! Seriously, you need to explain yourself!"

Perhaps Tigress was not going to be the only one with a long night.

**Artist's Comments:**

Thank you, once again, for reading another one-shot by yours truly.

Another Kung Fu Panda one-shot with a rather painfully cliche title, but I hope you will understand why I gave it the title that I did. So far, this is the longest one-shot I have ever done, including the throbbing headache that I now suffer through on the account of my relentless desire to finish this one-shot.

No, this idea was not my own. Sometime after I had finished another Kung Fu Panda one-shot, Midnight Kiss, I had received a review about the one-shot from EnvytheSkunk. This same user gave me this idea, although I confess that I did not flow with the entire idea all the way. I did what I could on the pain parts because I found the idea appealing, but overall, I did add parts of my own in this.

Yes, there are some parts that I wished that I elaborated on, and there are even some parts I wish I didn't elaborate so hard on, but I really wanted to finish this fan fiction before the idea turned cold and before I passed out with exhaustion.

If you are interested in another PoxTigress ones-shot by yours truly, I have only one other at the moment: Midnight Kiss. If you are a hardcore PoxTigress fan, and/or if you haven't read it already, then I personally recommend that you read Eye of the Dragon, and its sequel: The Yin and Yang. Personally, for the more serious PoxTigress fans, I call that series an almost must-read. I try to not be OCD about certain things, but that particular fan fiction is that good: that's why I say "almost must-read".

If you are a Sepper (SunilxPepper) fan, like I am, I do have a few one-shots available: I'm Here, Apology for Romance, Midnight Drink, and Eyes and Tail. There's only a few Sepper stories that I have read that I would point out to. Littlest College wasn't that bad: kept in characters and rather enjoyable. However, I am curious as into when Esmeia will finish her Sepper story: Feminine Charms. I do like that story so far, but it's only on chapter two, and it's leaving me rather anxious.

Again, thank you very much for reading this fan fiction, and may God's love, grace, and mercy be with us all.


End file.
